In Jeannie's Shoes
by Elphie Marky
Summary: Katey and her family move to Puerto Rico. Will Katey finally understand what her mother went through with worrying about Katey with Javier when her own daughter (Katie-Jean) goes through the same thing? Better summary inside. r&r plz [Complete]
1. An Angry Move

**Summary and Background Info**

This is a story about Katey's daughter. What happens is that Katey and her family move to Puerto Rico because she is a dance teacher. Her daughter feels the same way she did when moving to Cuba. Will Katey finally realize what Jeannie felt about Katey's adventures in Cuba now that her own daughter is going through the same thing?

It is set in 1984. Katey is married to a man named Arthur and has two daughters: Katie-Jean and Brooke. Javier passed away a year after Katey left Cuba. He was killed by Castro's armies. Katey recently opened a dance studio in Puerto Rico, where she could teach her specialty of Latin dancing. Brooke seemed quite excited by the news, but Katie-Jean was anything but eager to pick up her life –leaving behind her school, friends, boyfriend, and family—and start over in a new country. At least her parents had waited until mid-June, after Katie-Jean had graduated from high school. Jeannie had also passed away soon after the arrival back into the U.S. She found out she had cancer and died about a year and a half after the return. Katey had lost two people who she felt very strongly for in a matter of six months. Susie married at twenty-five, moved away to California, and started her family. No one hears from her much anymore. Katey went to school in New York where she met her husband, started her family, and had her original dance studio before her recent promotion. Katie-Jean was not too fond of New York, but she preferred it to Puerto Rico.

Katey Miller-Anderson shoved the remaining suitcases into the back of the 1977 station wagon and called for her family to hurry up. Her husband, Arthur, walked down the path of their soon-to-be former home. It was a wonderful home to raise children, which is what Katey and Arthur did while living there. Moments later, an anxious sixteen-year-old girl with bouncy blonde curls hurried out of the house, carrying a bag of things to keep her occupied on the long plane ride to Puerto Rico. Brooke, the younger of the Anderson daughters, was exhilarated about this journey. Her older sister, Katie-Jean, walked out after Brooke leading a small yellow lab on a yellow leash outside.

"Katie-Jean, could you hurry up a bit?" Katey asked impatiently.

"Mom, have you realized that you are uprooting me from the only life I've ever known to go to some foreign country so you can dance? I had to say good-bye to _everything_! My entire life! And you want me to hurry up?" Katie-Jean blurted out, staring at her mother.

"I'm sorry," Katey said. "But I guess you forgot how my parents did the same thing to me when I was your age."

"So why make the same mistake?" Katie-Jean was now shouting.

"Don't make the same mistakes I made."

"It wasn't a mistake when you lost your—"

"Enough, Katie-Jean, get in the car."

With that, Brooke, already in the car, moved over to her sister could squeeze in. Katie-Jean placed her new puppy, a gift from her parents for her graduation, on her lap. The puppy cuddled with her owner.

"Everyone ready for a big adventure?" Arthur said from the front seat, obviously thrilled about the upcoming journey.

Brooke and Katey let out cries of "woo hoo", but Katie-Jean sat quietly. Sometimes, she just couldn't stand her dad. He was just so nerdy. He had big glasses, buck teeth, and a bad comb over. She didn't know what her mom saw in him, seeing as he looked almost the same when they met, just a little more hair. He was usually embarrassing and dorky, making conversation with her friends about things they could care less about. She sighed as her dad looked back at her and smiled. "Why the long face, Katie-Jean?"

"Why do you think?" She rolled her eyes and looked out the window. She felt bad that she was giving everyone such a hard time about this move. After all, it wasn't her dad's fault… it was all Katey's doing. Another thing that Katie-Jean hated about her parents was the name they had given her. It had a few meanings to her parents, but one that she herself was certain of. Being born on November 21 of 1966, it was exactly six years after Jeannie's tragic death, down to the very hour. Katey, the amazing daughter that she was, wanted to remember her mother through her daughter. Being selfish (in Katie-Jean's opinion) she also wanted to name the baby after herself, and knew this would enable her to get away with it, just changing the spelling. So she was called Katie-Jean Anderson. When Katie-Jean was thirteen, Katey had confessed to her that it was also a way of remembering her first love. The initials of her first name were that of Katey and Javier. Katie-Jean felt quite used by her mother and deprived of a real name for these reasons. If she could have chosen her own name, she would make it something exotic like Melanie or Gabriella. She was happy she could choose the name of her puppy, which she called Sunny. The puppy brought such a great joy in her life, even more so now, because it would be her only friend. If you wanted to hear how corny Katey and Arthur were about naming their second daughter, then listen to this. Since they lived Brooklyn, New York at the time, they decided to be "oh so creative" (again in Katie-Jean's opinion) and name her Brooke Lynne. She felt sorry for her sister, who also was gypped of a real name. Brooke seemed to like it though, thinking it was "so cute." Katie-Jean really hated her family sometimes. At least she had Sunny, who wouldn't judge her or force her to do stupid things she didn't want to do.

The wait at the airport was long and boring. Katie-Jean sat staring into space for an hour of the two spent waiting. She had to check Sunny into a crate so she could fly to Puerto Rico with them. Brooke was off the walls. She was engrossed in a book (for the first time in years) about the lifestyles and culture of the country they were heading towards. She planned on learning to dance exotic dances like her mother had. Katey was opening up a beautiful dance studio, which she got to completely redecorate. Arthur would continue to write novels. He had a few published, which allowed for the family's affluent lifestyle. Katie-Jean just wanted to stay in New York and later move to Maine once she married her boyfriend, who she was convinced she was in love with. She cried for days when he saw that she had to leave John behind.

"Would those boarding flight 356 to Puerto Rico first class please board the plane?" The voice from the loudspeaker boomed and echoed. The Andersons stood up and gathered their bags, and boarded the plane for the long flight ahead of them.

After the three hour flight, Katie-Jean rushed off the plane, carrying a hot pink backpack which contained a few books and things for her to do. Brooke followed excitedly, anxious to explore her new surroundings. Katey and Arthur were also thrilled to be in this exotic country. It was her first time out of the United States since Cuba, so Katey was more than excited. After they picked up their luggage, they took a taxi to their new home. It was a large, white single home with a white picket fence. Katie-Jean lugged her black suitcase and pink backpack up the pathway and walked into the house, which Arthur had just opened. She wandered up the steps and saw numerous bedrooms.

"Pick your bedrooms, girls!" Katey yelled up the steps. "The big one in the front is ours!"

Katie-Jean dropped her bags and ran into every room. Brooke was still outside, so Katie-Jean had first pick. One had a window seat, good for reading. Another one had blue walls and a large double bed. The last one was quite small, with ugly pink wall. She decided on the biggest one with the window seat. She dragged her bags into the room, and looked around. The walls were plain white with soft green carpet on the floor. She stared at the huge walk-in closet with a gaping mouth. She hadn't seen this when she took her first peek. There was a also a large bed.

"No fair, you got to pick before me!" Brooke peeked her head in the room. "Wow, this room is so much cooler than the one I picked. I have the one with blue walls. The pink one was ugly. Mom said she was going to redecorate it."

"Great, go away now."

Brooke sighed as she turned around and left the room. Katie-Jean wandered downstairs. As she was about to explore the rest of the house, she heard the doorbell ring. She turned around and headed towards the front door instead of the kitchen. She opened the door and saw a middle aged couple and their three kids.

"Hi," the lady said with a smile. "We live next door."

"Come in." Katie-Jean opened the door wider so that the neighbors could enter the house. Katey and Arthur walked out of the kitchen and smiled at the sight of visitors.

"Hello, I'm Katey. This is Arthur, my husband. This is my eldest daughter, Katie-Jean." Katie-Jean smiled and said hello. "And that one," Katey pointed towards the blonde coming down the steps, "is our youngest, Brooke."

"I'm Martha, this is my husband Ernie. These are our three kids," First she pointed to the oldest, an 18 year-old girl named Violet. The middle child was 15 and called Alessandra. The youngest was a 10 year-old boy named Zack.

The adults wandered into the kitchen, followed by Zack, leaving the four girls in the living room.

"Hi, I'm Katie-Jean. You're Violet?"

"Yep, wanna go hang out front? It's kinda boring in here."

"Okay." Katie-Jean was anxious to escape the clutches of the new environment. As soon as they were outside, they sat down on the bench out front of Violet's house. "How come you came to Puerto Rico?"

Violet sighed. "You first." Katie-Jean told Violet about her mother's promotion and the dismay she had in picking up her entire life and moving to a new country. She hated her parents for it.

"At least your parents waited til you graduated. I had to finish out the school year here. I've been here since February. My parents moved here to research some stupid plant. So yeah, I completely understand how they think its okay to pick up our lives at their convenience."

"What kills me is that my mom went through the same thing and yet she's doing it to me." Katie-Jean explained about her mother's experience in Cuba.

"Oh, yeah. There are a lot of cute boys here, so yeah, I see." Violet winked. "Here come some."

A few Spanish boys walked down the street. They yelled something in Spanish. Katie-Jean only took two years of Spanish in freshman and sophomore year and had long since forgotten the better part of the language. All she could pick out was "girls" and "hot". From those two words, she could understand the meaning of the sentence.

"Gracias!" Violet waved at the boys and flashed a smile. She was a typical American. She was really pretty with dark blonde hair that was curly and hung down to her shoulders and striking green eyes. Katie-Jean looked at herself. She had straight brown hair. It was quite thick. She was relatively attractive, despite the fact that she looked like her father. She stared at the passing boys through her dark brown eyes.

"Hey, do you want to go to a club tomorrow night?" Violet asked. "It's for people over 18, we can legally drink down here. It's like a dancing club. I go all the time, its really fun. It will be a great way for you to meet people. A bunch of my friends are going."

"Sure, I'd love to go. We can drink? Awesome." Not that Katie-Jean was a heavy party-go-er, she just was out for a good time.

"Great, I'll come over tomorrow around 6:30 to help you get ready. Then my friend will pick us up."

"Violet, dear, are you ready to go?" Martha and Ernie came out, Zack and Alessandra following. "We're going to Mrs. Gregory's house for dinner."

"Yeah, just a sec," Violet called over to her parents. "I'll see you tomorrow, Katie-Jean. Bye."

"Later." Katie-Jean walked home and happily skipped up the steps to put her things away.


	2. La Reina que Baila

Katie-Jean unpacked the entire next day. She personalized her room by adding pictures of her and her friends from back home. She spread a dark blue comforter over the bed. Her favorite stuffed animal, a large teddy bear that John had given her for their first Valentine's Day together, sat in the center of the bed. Looking at it, she missed John. Her parents had forbidden her to call him on the phone because of the outrageous long distance charges. She decided that she would write a letter to him. Knowing John, he had probably already moved on to Ashley Smith, the prettiest and most popular cheerleader … ever. Katie-Jean didn't know how Ashley didn't steal John away a while ago. After her room was as close to home as she could make it, Katie-Jean jumped in the shower. She pulled on a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt while she waited for Violet to come over. A little before 6:30, the doorbell rang and Katie-Jean let Violet in.

"Right this way to my room." The two girls hurried up the steps. Violet went through all of Katie-Jean's clothes. Compared to Violet's stunning purple tights, black combat boots, and short, tight dress with black squares, Katie-Jean's clothes looked old and out of style. As Violet spun her head around, the large black hoop earrings spun with her. "We take the same size. Let's go to my house."

After Violet lent Katie-Jean some clothes, they were ready to go. She loved her new look. She had borrowed an off the shoulder white shirt to wear over a pink tank top. Instead of pants, Katie-Jean wore black stockings and a black skirt. She finished the look with black knee-length boots. The two girls hurried out front when they heard a honking horn. A blue mustang was parked out front of Violet's house with two girls already inside.

"Hey guys, this is my new neighbor, Katie-Jean." The girls waved hello as Violet and Katie-Jean climbed in the car. "This is Sara." Violet pointed to the blonde driving the car. "And that's Emily." The redhead in the passenger turned around and greeted Katie-Jean with a southern accent.

"I'm from Tennessee." Emily smiled as she tipped her cowboy hat. Soon after, they arrived at a Spanish dancing club called La Reina que Baila. Katie-Jean read the name aloud, having no idea what it could mean.

"The Dancing Queen," Sara whispered, dragging her inside. After paying a small fee, the girls began to dance. Katie-Jean just danced like a typical American, bumping into almost everyone. She was having a lot of fun though. She couldn't help but notice an amazingly cute boy dancing near the band. Three pretty Spanish girls were gliding around him. Katie-Jean just stared, completely forgetting where she was and what she was doing. She came to reality when she felt someone tug her arm.

"He wants to dance with you." Violet pointed at a cute Spanish boy (not as cute as the one she saw earlier), but pretty hot.

"Por favor?" The boy asked with a smiled.

"Si," Katie-Jean replied. "That's about the extent of my Spanish."

"It is okay, Miss. I am Miguel. What is your name?"

"I'm Katie-Jean." The music began. It had a fast rhythm. Miguel was a terrible dancer. He was even worse than Katie-Jean (and she was _terrible_!) As the song ended, she politely excused herself to search for this cute boy. She didn't see him, but she did see Violet and company at the bar. Emily handed her a glass, and without thinking, she drank it. It was good. The girls started dancing again. To Katie-Jean's delight, the cute boy came up and asked her to dance in beautiful Spanish. She replied with a "si" and began moving to the beat with the boy. He guided her and made her feel like an amazing dancer, although she was quite the opposite. As the song ended, she thanks him for the dance before he drifted away, moving onto a new partner. It was getting late, so the girls decided to head home.

Katey was a little concerned at the fact that they didn't return home until midnight, but she let it go. She was glad to see her daughter adjusting. On the other hand, Brooke, the social butterfly, was having a tough time. She didn't get along well with Alessandra or any of her friends and there were no guys her age around. She was distraught without friends or boys.

Katey inquired about Katie-Jean's outing, but was brushed off and ignored. Katie-Jean slammed her door and went straight to bed. Katey also headed upstairs and got into bed. Brooke was in her room, writing letters to all of her friends she as forced to leave behind.

The next day, Sunny woke Katie-Jean up at 9:00 for a walk. She sighed as she pulled on her blue spandex biker shorts and a loose-fitting Mickey Mouse t-shirt. She slipped her old, tattered tennis shoes on over her green and pink socks. She brushed her knotty hair and quickly put Sunny on a leash.

"Mom, I'm taking Sunny for a walk in the park." Katie-Jean was tugged out the door by the anxious pup but soon gained control and was able to guide her three blocks to the park. After a few minutes of wandering, Sunny finally relieved herself and sniffed around. Katie-Jean was afraid to let her off the leash because she was not fully trained. Sunny jolted Katie-Jean unexpectedly. She was hot on the trail of sniffing something and began running, dragging her poor owner along for the ride.

"Sunny, stop. Halt, halt!" Sunny kept running… right into the amazing dancer from last night. Before she could react, Katie-Jean was laying on top of the boy and Sunny and the dog he was walking were happily playing. Katie-Jean rolled off of the boy, obviously embarrassed.

"Yo tengo siento…" Katie-Jean did not speak Spanish well, and she knew that wasn't exactly how to say sorry, but it was good it enough.

"It's okay, Senorita." The boy spoke perfect English, with a hint of a Puerto Rican accent. His smiled was amazing. Katie-Jean just stared into his enchanting dark eyes. She could have stared forever if he had not broken the silence. "I'm Julio Perez. What is your name?"

"I'm Katie-Jean Anderson. I just moved here the other day."

"That's nice. Maybe I could show you around sometime?"

"I'd love that."

"How about now, since our dogs seem to get along so well?"

"Sure." Katie-Jean was exhilarated. She was able to spend time with an amazingly cute boy who actually wanted to spend time with her. "Sunny, come here girl." Sunny came running to her owner, and Katie-Jean picked up her leash. Julio called his dog, a brown and white mutt named Medianoche. He didn't have a leash, but obediently walked beside his caretaker. Julio was an excellent tour guide. He took Katie-Jean all around the small town of San Ricardo where they both now resided. He pointed out all of the landmarks, not that there were many in such a small, unknown town.

"That right there is La Reina que Bailia. It is where I got to dance every night I am free. I'd like to take you sometime."

"Actually I was just there last night with my neighbor and her friends."

"I knew you looked familiar!" Julio smiled. "I remember dancing with you."

Katie-Jean blushed. "I'm not very good."

"The best I danced with last night. Although, Luisa and Maria are horrible dancers too… It's okay, you will improve."

"You might know my friends. Violet, Sara, and Emily? I don't know their surnames."

"Violet… on Tomas Road?"

"Yes, she lives next door to me."

"Si, bien. I'll walk you home. It is getting late and I need to get to work."

"Oh, you don't have to."

"But I just lead you half way around this place. You surely don't know where you are after living here for a few days."

"You have a point." Butterflies flittered in her stomach as Julio grabbed her hand and led her home. She couldn't help but smile and be proud that such an amazing dancer was holding her hand.

"I'll see you at La Reina que Bailia soon I hope."

"Yeah, maybe later this week."

He kissed her hand and winked as he waved "adios" and led Medianoche down Tomas Road. Katie-Jean let out a "woo" as she led Sunny up the front pathway and into the house.

Note: I don't think San Ricardo is a real place. I made it up…. At least I think I did. Please review!


	3. Blind Dates and Dancing Dreams

Katie-Jean was all smiles for the rest of the day, and it killed Katey because she didn't know why.

"Katie-Jean, sweetheart," Katey began, sitting next to her daughter on the couch, "how are you making out with your new friends?"

"They're all really great. I'm actually kinda glad we moved here." Katie-Jean didn't even look up from what she was doing to answer her mom.

"What's that you're writing there?" Katey tried to read it.

"Just a letter to John. I don't think our relationship is going to work across an ocean." She continued writing.

"I'm sorry, dear. You'll find love someday."

"Uh huh." She signed her name, stood up, and headed for the stairs.

"Katie-Jean, come here," Brooke popped her head out of her room. Katie-Jean walked into her sister's room and looked around. There were pictures of actors all over the walls. "What looks best?" Brooke asked, holding up two dresses. "The pink one or the yellow one?"

"Umm, the pink one," Katie-Jean said.

"Okay, thanks."

Katie-Jean went back to her room. She put the letter in an envelope to be mailed. She plopped on the bed and thought about calling Violet to see if she wanted to go to La Reina que Baila later that week. She stopped thinking when her door opened. Katey walked in and sat on the bed next to her.

"I forgot to tell you. I went to lunch with our other next door neighbors. They have a son that's your age. His name is Liam. He's very nice. You two are going out to dinner and to see a film tonight. Get ready."

"But, Mom, I don't want to go."

"Well, you don't have John, so what is stopping you?"

"Maybe I don't want a boyfriend?"

"You're going, he's very sweet. Get ready, _now_!"

Katie-Jean sat out front waiting for Liam to pick her up. She smoothed her purple dress as she looked over. She saw the door to the house next to hers and a figure emerge.

"Hi, I'm Liam," the boy reached her porch and introduced himself.

"I'm Katie-Jean."

He was pretty cute. He had somewhat long blonde hair. She liked his blue eyes, but not as much as she liked Julio's. _Wow, I think I really like Julio. Uh oh…_

They walked down the path and into a car. "Where would you like to go?"

"I don't really know any places here, you choose," Katie-Jean offered a smile.

"I know a great restaurant. Do you like Italian food?"

"It's only my favorite." Katie-Jean smiled. Maybe this could be a fun night after all. Her chances were Julio weren't that great, so maybe Liam was a better match for her. A few minutes later, they arrived at a small restaurant. Liam opened Katie-Jean's door and helped her out. She smiled and thanked him. He sure was polite. As they were seated, Liam tried to make small talk.

"What college do you want to go to?"

"Well, I would love to have gone to University of New York to major in fashion design. It's always been my dream. I got in and all, even a scholarship. But then my mom decided to move here, so I enrolled in the local university. How about you?"

"I'm a sophomore at the local university. Well, I will be this fall." Katie-Jean and Liam continued talking about college until their spaghetti arrived. They ate and continued talking, finding they had a lot in common. She was really beginning to like him, but there was still a longing to dance with Julio.

"Listen, I had a great time tonight," Liam began, pulling up in front of Katie-Jean's house. "But I really don't see us working. I think we would make better friends, and to tell the truth, I only did this because our moms planned this."

"Oh gosh! I totally agree," Katie-Jean replied, happy that he wanted to be her friend. "You're a great guy, but I think you'd be more important to me as a friend."

"One kiss won't hurt though, will it?" Liam gave her a half grin.

"No, of course not." Katie-Jean winked as she wrapped her arms around him. The two kissed for a minute before Liam walked her to the door.

"Hey, thanks for everything. We should hang out sometime."

"I'd like that. Good night Katie-Jean."

"Good night."

"How was your date, Honey?" Arthur poked his head into Katie-Jean's room.

She rolled over to look at the clock. 9:30. "It was fine."

"Did you kiss him?"

"Dad…"

"Okay, Hun. Brooke made eggs, so come eat."

"I'll be down in a sec." Katie-Jean sat up and her dad left. She slipped out of her pajamas and into blue spandex biker shorts and a white cami. She braided her thick locks and wandered downstairs. Katey and Arthur sat at the table with a plate of eggs and buttered toast in front of them. Brooke stood at the stove, flipping eggs and managing the toast in the toaster.

"Yours will be done in a minute." Brooke said.  
"Smells good," Katie-Jean commented as she sat at the table. A minute later, Brooke placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of Katie-Jean. She walked back to the counter and brought over her own plate. The family ate a delicious breakfast. They talked anxiously about what they planned to do that day.

"How was your date, Katie-Jean?" Katey looked at her daughter through tired eyes.

"It was nice. Liam is really nice, but –"

"Oh that's great, I think you two make such a cute couple."

Katey got up from the table before Katie-Jean could correct her. Arthur had also finished his meal. After the girls finished, Brooke washed the dishes and headed upstairs to shower. Katie-Jean walked into the living room and towards the phone. She decided to phone Violet and see if she wanted to do something.

"Hello. This is Katie-Jean Anderson. May I please speak to Violet?"

"Sure, dear, just a moment." Martha answered the phone and called for Violet.

"Hey Katie-Jean." Violet was now on the phone.

"Hi. I was wondering if you wanted to hang out."

"I can't right now. I think Sara and Emily are headed to La Reina Que Baila tonight so I was going to go with them. Wanna come?"

"Sure, I'd love to."

"Do you want to invite Liam?"

"Why?"

"Isn't he your boyfriend?"

"No, we decided to just be friends."

"Oh, so he's available?"

Katie-Jean laughed. "Yes."

"Hmm, I think I'm going to invite him. Do you have his number?"

Katie-Jean gave Violet Liam's number and made plans to meet at 6:30. She hung up the phone and plopped on the couch. Katey came downstairs carrying her gym bag and dressed in a pink warm up suit. "Wanna come to the studio with me? I'm teaching a few little girls basic ballet, and I could use some help."

"Sure, I've got nothing better to do." Katie-Jean wandered upstairs and changed into one of her ballet leotards. She pulled sweatpants on over and headed downstairs.

"Good job, Annie," Katie-Jean encouraged a little blonde on how to do a pirouette. She stood up and watched the other five year olds gracefully whirl around the studio.

"Jenny, point your toe out a little more," Katey corrected. "Yes, just like that."

"Christie, good pirouette." Katie-Jean clapped. She smiled and looked over towards the corner. A young Spanish girl was trying to spin. "Hey, you look like you could you use come help. What's your name?" Katie-Jean smiled as she bent down to the girl's eye level.

"I'm Gracie." The little girl had a quiet voice, and she seemed very shy.

"Would you like some help on this pirouette?" Katie-Jean offered. "I took ballet for years."

"I can't spin right." Tears welled up in Gracie's eyes.

"Aw, don't cry, Gracie. Look, like this." Katie-Jean demonstrated a perfect pirouette.

"Wow, where'd you learn that?" Gracie asked in astonishment.

"My mom taught me. You know what, my mom is your dance teacher. Miss Katey will make you as good a ballerina as I am."

Gracie tried to imitate Katie-Jean's pirouette, and almost got it. Katie-Jean moved Gracie's arms and legs to form the ballet move. After a few tries, Gracie was improving. "Great job, Gracie. Keep up the good work!"

"All right girls, start getting ready to leave. Your parents will be here," Katey called, turning off the music. A bunch of little girls ran around packing up their things.

"Thanks for helping me, Miss Katie-Jean." Gracie smiled holding her bag on her shoulder.

"You're very welcome. Here, I'll walk you to your parents."

"My brother is picking me up today, my Mommy works."

"Okay, let's go."

Katie-Jean was surprised to see Julio as she stepped into the hot June sun.

"Julio!" Gracie ran and gave her brother a hug.

"Well, I didn't know you ran a ballet school," Julio smiled, walking up to Katie-Jean.

"It's my mom's, I try and help out whenever I can," Katie-Jean explained. "Gracie shows a lot of potential."

"She's always wanted to take ballet lessons, it's kinda cute actually." Julio grinned. "Wanna hang out later?"  
"Sure, I think I'm going to La Reina que Baila with my friends tonight."

"Great, I'll see you there. Good bye, Katie-Jean."

"Bye Miss Katie-Jean!" Gracie waved anxiously.

"Bye Gracie and Julio." She waved and watched them walk down the street.


	4. Dog Park Rendezvous

Katie-Jean walked outside and met Liam, Violet, Emily, and Sara on her front lawn. She waved and smiled as she walked towards them. She couldn't help but throw a wink Violet's way when she noticed Liam take her hand. They piled into Sara's car and headed towards La Reina que Baila. Katie-Jean was nervously flicking her hair. Brooke had curled it and the spirals wouldn't stay behind her shoulders. It looked quite pretty with a checkered scarf serving as a headband. The headband complimented her black dress and combat boots. Liam, the gentleman that he was, helped all four girls out of the car before putting his arm around Violet. They paid the money to enter the dance club and headed towards the bar. Emily and Sara sat down beside Katie-Jean while Violet and Liam headed towards the dance floor. Katie-Jean looked around nervously as she sipped her margarita.

"Hola Senorita." Katie-Jean whirled around as the soft whisper entered her ears. She smiled as she felt Julio's arms wrap around her as he kissed her cheek.

"Hey there." Katie-Jean finished her drink as she walked on the dance floor with Julio. A fast song came on as Julio moved Katie-Jean's body with his.

"You need to come out of your ballet element and learn how to dance freely." He tried to lead her by placing his spinning her so she was pressed against him but facing the same direction. He placed his hands low on her stomach and dipped low. Katie-Jean nervously danced and was happy when a slower song came on. She turned around and wrapped her arms around Julio's neck. He placed his hands on the small of her back and kissed her. They kissed for most of the song, only pausing momentarily to breathe.

"Would you like to go out for some air?" Julio asked, taking Katie-Jean's hand.

"Sure, I just want to tell my friends, okay?" She whispered something to Violet, who was dancing next to her. Julio led her out back and sat down on a bench. She sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Katie-Jean, I'd like to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"What could you have possibly done to Gracie to make her so happy all of a sudden?"

"Well, I just noticed that she was all alone and she wasn't quite sure of the move, so I helped her. She's a real sweet kid." Katie-Jean smiled.

"I've never seen her so happy since Papa left us. She's just been so distant. It worried me, since she's only five."

"What happened?"

"He was cheating on my Mama and just up and left last November. It shocked us all. I had to get a job and I was barely able to finish high school."

"I'm so sorry." Katie-Jean placed her hand on his arm.

"It is okay, I think we all get along better without him. It is hard, with me and Mama looking after Gracie along with an infant and a dog."

"You have a little brother or sister?"

"Si, a brother. His name is Javier."

"How cute. I just have Brooke."

"Maybe you could come over for dinner sometime and meet my family?"

"I'd love that." Katie-Jean leaned in and kissed Julio. They kissed for several minutes, neither one of them wanting to pull out. They finally stopped when they heard Violet calling Katie-Jean's name. "Good-bye, I'll see you around."

"I'll meet you at the dog park tomorrow around 3:00, okay?"

"Okay, Julio." She kissed him goodbye, followed Violet out of the club, and climbed into the car. Sara had already started the car and Emily was looking for a radio station. Violet sat on Liam's lap while Katie-Jean stared out the window looking at the passing scenery. She rushed to bed after she was dropped off and had bid Violet and Liam a goodnight.

A little after 11:00, Katie-Jean rolled out of bed. She pulled on her robe and headed downstairs to get some breakfast. She poured herself a bowl of cereal and ate quietly. She reflected on last night's activities and wondered about what she could do until 3:00. She looked down and saw Sunny sitting at her feet. "Hey girl." She pet the dog on the head and stood up, carrying her dishes to the sink.

Around 1:30, Katie-Jean got dressed. She tied her hair up in a ponytail and headed downstairs. She watched cartoons until 2:30 and called Sunny into the room. The dog anxiously ran into the room and stopped at Katie-Jean's feet. She placed the leash on the collar and led Sunny outside. A little before 3:00, Katie-Jean and Sunny arrived at the park. Not long after Sunny took care of business, Katie-Jean noticed Julio and Medianoche walking down the path. She waved anxiously to get their attention. Medianoche lumbered over and greeted Sunny. Katie-Jean gave Julio a big hug.

"Katie-Jean Anderson, will you be my girlfriend?" Julio looked deep into her eyes.

"Of course." She kissed him and smiled.

"Mama would like to meet you, and Gracie just adores you."

"I would love to meet your Mama, and Gracie is so sweet."

"Please come over for dinner tomorrow night. I will pick you up and we can walk over together around 5:00." Julio suggested.

"That sounds good. My parents might want to meet you as well. Just for a minute though."

"Okay. Are they gonna like me, you know since I'm…?"

"I don't see why they shouldn't. After all, my mom had a fling with some Cuban guy back in the late 50s, so how different could this be?" Katie-Jean offered, hoping her parents would be accepting.

Julio walked Katie-Jean home, Sunny and Medianoche following close behind. They stopped at Liam's house when they saw Violet and Liam on the porch. The walked up and said hello. After chatting for a moment, Julio checked his watch and saw that he had to get home.

"Bye." He kissed Katie-Jean on the cheek and waved goodbye to Liam and Violet. They waved back and watched him and his dog wander down the street.

"I think I'll let you two get back to what you were doing," Katie-Jean said, leading Sunny over to her house. She walked in the door and saw Katey and Arthur watching TV on the couch.

"Hello there, Sunny," Arthur greeted as the dog ran up to him and put her paws on his knee. He softly petted her head and stroked under her chin. "Katie-Jean, where were you?"

"I was at the dog park with a friend of mine." Her reply came smooth and nonchalant. "He's really sweet."

"Liam has a dog?" Katey asked. "I haven't seen one over there."

"No, Liam and Violet are together now. Isn't that cute?" Katie-Jean couldn't believe that her mother was still trying to force them together. "He wasn't really my type," she added quickly.

"Who's this mystery boy?" Arthur inquired, making a weird hand motion.

"His name is Julio. Mom you know him! Remember Gracie from ballet class? It's her older brother! He really is a nice boy, you know."

"I'd like to meet him sometime, before you two start dating." Arthur was always trying to be so over protective.

"Well, his Mama would also like to meet me, so when he picks me up tomorrow for dinner, you can meet him. I'm going to his house for dinner."

"Whoa, wait a minute. Gracie Perez lives in a horrible part of town, I don't know about this." Katey seemed adamant about this.

"But Mom, Julio will take care of me, don't worry."

"I still would like to meet this fellow." Arthur felt it necessary to reiterate things.

"Daddy, you will! Please let me date him. He's so sweet." Katie-Jean was now on her knees at Katey's feet. At this point, she didn't seem to have her eyes focused on Katey. She peered behind her mother and watched the door open silently. Brooke entered, holding the hand of a boy. Just as she was about to lead him upstairs, Katie-Jean gave Katey a gentle nudge. Katey turned around and saw the two, obviously thinking they got away with what they were doing.

"I'll take care of this." Katey stood up and went upstairs. Shouts of "you're ruining my life" and "not in my house" among other words were heard from the second floor.

"Hey, Daddy, at least I'm not doing that."

Arthur chuckled and smiled at his daughter. "Okay, Katie-Jean, you may date this boy as long as he is polite and kind. Only the best for my daughters."

"Oh Daddy!" She bent down and kissed him on the cheek and hurried upstairs.


	5. Dinner at Julio's, Tea at KatieJean's

Katie-Jean sat at her vanity, nervously brushing her dark locks. She had let her hair down and placed it neatly behind her shoulders. She heard the doorbell ring and stood up, carefully smoothing her green dress. She slipped into a pair of brown moccasins and scurried downstairs. She opened the door and hugged Julio before welcoming him inside.

"Wow." Julio looked around in awe. He smiled politely and said hello as Katey and Arthur entered. He shook their hands and asked "how do you do."

"Mom, Dad, this is Julio. Julio, these are my parents." Katie-Jean introduced him to her parents.

Arthur went into over-protective Dad mode by asking Julio questions. He answered politely, keeping Katie-Jean's safety in his best interest.

"Well, we best be going, Mama will be expecting us back soon." Julio tried to get out of there.

Katie-Jean kissed her parents good-bye and hurried out the door. Katie-Jean and Julio walked down the street hand-in-hand. After twenty minutes of tiresome walking, the couple arrived at Julio's house. It was a small, one story house made of brown adobe. It was quite rundown, but not as much as the surrounding ones. Katie-Jean offered a polite smiled when Julio gestured his arm towards the gate shielding the house from the streets. Just by the look of it he knew that she thought the house pitiful and dirty. She probably would make her stay short and never see him again. _Why did I bring her here this soon in the relationship? A pretty, rich girl like her will think I'm trash or something… ugh I'm so stupid at times,_ Julio thought to himself, returning a smile just as fake.

Julio held Katie-Jean's hand as he led her through the gate and through a large wooden door. As soon as they entered, Julio sighed as he noticed large piles of laundry and toys stacked in the living room. Sounds of a screaming baby were heard and shouts from an angry mother echoed through the house. Katie-Jean hadn't a clue to what was being said, long having forgotten what little Spanish she knew. Gracie ran into the room crying, being chased by a larger Spanish woman who was carrying the crying child.

Julio ran to his mother and took the baby off her, speaking in Spanish. He told his mother that he had cleaned all day and now it was a mess. He expressed his embarrassment for the chaos in front of guests. Mrs. Perez just brushed him off as she wandered into the kitchen to tend to the already burned dinner.

"I'm so sorry, come here." Julio took Katie-Jean's hand and led her towards a beat up red sofa. "This is my brother, Javier." He gestured towards the wailing infant in his arms. "And you already know Gracie." Katie-Jean waved to the little girl, picking up toys in the corner. "And in the kitchen is my Mama. She's a bit tired today."

"Dinner is served." Mama Perez stood at the doorway, gesturing everyone into the dining room. There were four chipped plates displayed on the table, which was lined with two benches. A larger plate was in the center of the table, holding a blackened roast. A bowl of potatoes was on one side, while a bowl of carrots was on the other. Cups of water were at the top of the plates with a fork and a knife on either side. Katie-Jean politely sat down next to Julio. Mama Perez sat across from her son, her daughter at her side. The baby was placed in a high chair, a bottle in his hands. Everyone held hands as the family said Grace in Spanish, Katie-Jean repeating it silently in her head in English.

Mama Perez scooped generous helpings of potatoes on everyone's plate and even larger scoops of carrots. Unfortunately, she was quite sloppy in doing so. A little bit of potato splattered on Katie-Jean's dress, while a couple of carrots fell onto Julio's pants. Mama Perez was not as generous with the roast beef. She took most for herself and gave a small slice to Gracie. Katie-Jean and Julio received a larger helping, still somewhat small. Katie-Jean's first impression of Mama Perez was that she was rude and self-centered. She hadn't even said hi to her.

Katie-Jean ate politely and complimented Mama Perez on the food. Even though it was burnt and actually quite repulsive, she swallowed her pride and ate it all. She noticed that Julio also showed slight grimaces as he shoved food in his mouth. Gracie just picked at what was on her plate, whining in Spanish. Dinner was awkward. No one spoke. She wasn't sure if that was a Spanish tradition or something, so she kept her mouth shut.

"That was very good," Katie-Jean complimented with a smile, "I enjoyed it."

Mama Perez responded with Spanish banter. Julio said something in reply. She felt really left out, not knowing what Julio's response was. Suddenly, Julio slammed his fork down and turned to Katie-Jean, "Let's go."

She just stood up and followed him. Mama Perez continued screaming. Gracie began whining louder and little Javier began crying.

As soon as they were outside, Julio hugged Katie-Jean close. "I'm so sorry, Baby. That's not what I had planned at all."

"Julio, it's okay. I know things get hectic in a family with little kids."

"No, Baby, you don't understand." Julio continued to explain to Katie-Jean about his home life. Ever since his father had left, Mama had been drinking. Gracie had become whiny and annoying and Javier was still too young to understand what was going on, so he just cried. Julio practically dragged Katie-Jean down the street and around the corner. He pulled her close and they just stood there. Katie-Jean was so confused. She carefully led Julio to a near-by bench and rubbed his back as he cried on her shoulder.

"Why is my family so messed up?" Julio asked angrily. "Just why?"

"Oh, hun its okay." She did her best to comfort him. She looked up and the sound of screaming and yelling. She saw Gracie running barefoot down the street, being chased by Mama Perez. "Um, Julio?"

He looked up. "Oh God. Katie-Jean, go get Javier, I'll get Gracie and meet me at the park." Julio stood up and grabbed his sister, carrying her to the park. Mama Perez collapsed in the street, not noticing Katie-Jean dart by carrying her baby.

Katie-Jean met Julio and Gracie in the park. She handed Javier to his brother and sat on the bench. It was beginning to get dark. Katie-Jean was really scared. She knew she was in a bad part of the neighborhood, and she was with two little kids. Julio sat, speaking in soft Spanish to calm his brother. Gracie sat on the ground, playing with a lump of sand.

"Julio, where are you going to spend the night?" Katie-Jean asked.

"I'm not sure… I'll probably head home."

"It's not safe. You should stay at my house."

"I don't think your mom would like that too much."

"If she knew the circumstances… c'mon, let's go."

Gracie obediently followed. Julio stood up and walked behind the girls.

Katey and Arthur looked surprised to see more than just Katie-Jean entering the house. They walked into the living room and Katie-Jean began explaining their dilemma:

"Mom, Dad, Julio's mom was being a bit… disorderly. Is it okay if Julio and his siblings stay the night? I can fix up the guest bedroom for them."

Katey didn't trust this boy much, but she couldn't say no when there was a baby involved. Instead, she smiled weakly and nodded. "Sure, Sweetheart. Let me put some tea on." She stood up and headed for the kitchen. Katie-Jean went upstairs to prepare the bedroom, leaving Julio alone with Arthur. Gracie had followed Katey into the kitchen. Javier was fast asleep in Julio's arms.

"Have a seat," Arthur coaxed, patting the empty spot next to him on the couch. Julio awkwardly sat down, offering Arthur a faint smile. Julio spoke soft Spanish to the baby in arms. Arthur, who spoke English and French, asked in curiosity what Julio was saying.

"I'm saying _'Don't worry, baby, it's all going to be okay. Mama will be okay and Miss Katie-Jean will take care of us.'_" Julio explained.

Arthur smiled and thanked Julio for the explanation. He went back to reading the paper on his lap, making an occasional comment about what he read. Katie-Jean came downstairs and hurried into the living room.

"Julio, do you want to put Javier in the bed I made for him?" Katie-Jean asked.

"Sure, will you show me?"

"Of course, this way." The two walked upstairs and set the baby to bed. Julio looked around the room. He was amazed. He thought that this room alone was as big as his entire house. Katie-Jean saw his embarrassment and shame about his house compared to hers. "Julio, I hear my mom calling with tea."

He offered a smile and the two walked downstairs. Arthur was now in the kitchen. He sat at the table with Katey drinking tea. Gracie had a glass of water in front of her. Two cups of tea were set out for Katie-Jean and Julio. They drank in silence before heading up to bed.


	6. In Each Other's Arms

Julio slept soundly in the comfort of the large bed in Katie-Jean's guest bedroom. Gracie rolled over on her bed on the floor and Javier stirred from the makeshift crib.

Katie-Jean stole from her soft pink sheets and meandered into Julio's room. She felt so guilty about having a lovely home when he had next to nothing. She crept down the hall and slid into the guest bedroom. Careful not to step on Gracie, she tip toed across the room and crawled under the covers and worked her way into Julio's arms, falling asleep immediately.

Julio awoke a few hours later to find a beautiful brunette in his arms. After he realized where he was, he wondered why Katie-Jean was in his arms. He sat up, waking Katie-Jean.

"What are you doing here?" Julio asked.

"I couldn't sleep and I knew I'd find comfort with you," came the reply.

"What are your parents going to think?"

"I don't see why my mom should have any problems, after all, it has happened to her."

"What are you talking about?"

Katie-Jean sighed. "I guess I'd better tell you about my mom and Javier." Katie-Jean explained about her Grandpa's job in Cuba and how they moved. She told about Katey not fitting in right away, and how her Aunt Susie was at home. Katie-Jean moved on to the dance contest and how Katey had fallen in love with Javier, and that love never really died until Javier did. "I guess I told you know because I…" She trailed off.

Julio kissed her passionately. "I love you too." They kissed before cuddling in one another's arms and going to sleep, at peace with one another.

Katey and Arthur found their oldest daughter in the arms of that boy the next morning, but Katey wasn't mad. She finally realized how her mother must have felt when she was sneaking off with Javier. Katey remembered what it felt to be in love for the first time. Happy for her daughter, she let the two lay sleeping as she picked up Javier and led Gracie out of the room.

**A/N: The end. To anyone that did read it, I hope you liked it and I'd appreciate some reviews.**


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